Impulse
by sebastianX
Summary: This is my own version of seta soujiro's childhood. i'm not that good with summaries. all i can say that if you hate it, please do tell me.


To all those RK fans, sorry if you might dislike what I wrote but please just read it. I squeezed every ounce of my artistic and dramatic sense in order to write this fic about seta soujiro's life. I do hope you guys like it. Reviews please!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Impulse**

The year was during Japan's Meiji era where men wore mages and donned swords; where the Shinsengumi kept the place in order and the Shogun ruled the whole Edo; and lastly, where samurais roamed the area.

"Father, please stop!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs as my father beat me senselessly with a long stick. From the corner of my eye, I could see my mother simply looking on. She didn't give a damn about me.

I was adopted after all.

It was the middle of winter and after my daily beating, I sat under the big willow tree near the river beside our house. The snow gently pelted down on my lap as a winter breeze blew in causing me to slightly shiver. I gently started wiping my tears, cringing all the way as I carefully avoided touching the bruises I had on my face.

I really didn't know why my adoptive father beat me up practically every day of my life. I was already doing everything I can to please him. He ordered me around, telling me to do various chores such as carrying rice to and from the family warehouse. Sure I admit that I did make some mistakes along the way like tripping and spilling some of the rice but that doesn't really give them the right to mistreat me so badly. I was pretty small as well as frail after all and carrying heavy sacks of rice was totally irrational for an eight-year old boy.

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, I was an illegitimate child. My biological father impregnated his mistress causing much trouble between him and his wife. My biological father's wife left him with their two other children. In addition to all his problems, my father found out that his mistress had given birth. Though I was an infant, I could sense that no one had loved me. My father abandoned me and gave me to his friend while my biological mother seemed to have not cared at all.

I would always hear my adoptive father cursing my real father for leaving with him a 'pest' and a 'burden'. I constantly felt alone and miserable as I grew up under the care of my adoptive parents. My despair intensified when my father started beating me up. He treated me so terribly that I have somewhat grown immune to the beatings.

As the sun gradually began to set, I slowly stood up and walked back home. It was going to be another day of slavery for me as well as beatings. This was how I lived my life.

I woke up with my usually aching body. My stomach was once again growling for I had not eaten dinner last night. I was about to roll up my futon when my father suddenly stormed into my room.

"You worthless brat!" he yelled. His face was red with anger and I knew I was going to get beat up a little early today.

"Wha-what is it, father?" I asked. "Di-did I do something wrong…?"

"Don't play dumb with me you stupid child!" he retaliated.

"Bu-but I really don't know…" I replied.

"Don't know?" he yelled. "Go outside and take a good look at the warehouse."

I need not say a word. All I had to do now was to do whatever it is that he'll ask me to do. It was the only way to avoid being beaten up early.

I exited the house, all the while trying to keep up with my father's fast pace.

"Keep up brat!" he barked every once in a while.

Once we finally reached the warehouse, I didn't have the time to catch my breath. My father grabbed me by the arm and harshly pulled me inside the warehouse where the rice was stored.

My eyes grew wide with what I saw.

The sacks of rice were scattered everywhere. There was rice all over the floor. Basically, the whole place looked like someone had totally messed it up. I continued surveying the whole area when suddenly I heard the heavy doors of the warehouse being closed.

"Father, wait!" I cried as I saw him chaining the doors from the outside.

"You're not coming out unless you've got the whole place looking spotless!" he yelled.

"But Father!"

"No buts! Finish this all up before sunset or else…"

That was all he said. He had already left. I was all alone now. Then what I did next surprised me a great deal.

I started to laugh.

It actually began with a small grin that gradually curved into a smile. Then a slight chuckle escaped my mouth. Before I knew it, I was laughing so hard that my stomach started cramping up. I laughed and I laughed like there was no tomorrow. I thought that I had lost it but I knew I wasn't crazy. I was just so miserable and in so much anguish that I was fed up with frowning and crying.

I realized that smiling and laughing made the load I bore seem lighter. Everything appeared much brighter when I grinned.

But the harsh reality suddenly hit me. If I dawdled any longer, my father would undoubtedly kill me. I started scooping up the rice from the floor and putting them in the sacks. I really didn't care if what I was doing was right or wrong since I knew the end result would always be the same: I'd get beat up and I'll go to bed hungry as always.

In the middle of cleaning up, I heard some noise outside. There was a tiny hole in the wall of the warehouse where I decided to peek in order to find out what was going on outside. I saw a man who was wielding a deadly-looking blade. He was hovering above two people who appeared to be begging for their dear lives. But the man with the sword looked cold and heartless. In a flash, he lashed at the two, staining the white snowy ground with blood.

Then he turned to the direction where I was peeking. I gasped, thinking that this killer might've noticed that I was looking at him. Before I knew it, he struck at the wall, breaking it into pieces. He was now inside the warehouse. And just like those other two men he had recently killed, he was hovering above me as well. My heart was beating wildly against my chest. I knew that this man was going to kill me. I was a witness to his crime after all. And just as I've thought, he started walking closer towards me, slowly raising that shiny sword of his that was all coated with blood.

I knew there was nothing I could do. But then my instinct made my body do something I could've never imagined. I smiled.

Then the most amazing thing happened. The man slowly withdrew his sword. He was going to spare me.

"Why are you smiling child?" the man asked. "I was about to kill you…"

I kept smiling. "Well, if you can't do anything about a situation, the best thing to do is simply smile…" I answered with that wide grin of mine still intact.

The man gave me a questioning look. I continued smiling.

"You seem like an interesting kid…" he said.

"You seem very interesting yourself, sir." I replied. Then I decided to get a little bolder. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you kill those two men, sir?"

The man continued on looking at me. His facial features honestly scared the living heck out of me. It was as if this man's sole purpose was killing and nothing more. His expression tells me so.

"Listen kid, in the end, only the fittest survive in this world. If you're strong you live, if you're weak you die. That's the only thing you should know…" he said, still with a cold expression on his face.

This new mentality struck me hard. He was totally right. I realized that my whole life had been nothing but a battle. And I was constantly losing. I knew that at this rate, I'd die pretty soon if I continually allow myself to be pushed around like some kind of weakling.

Suddenly my father barged in. I turned to face him and I saw him gripping the long stick that he usually uses to beat me up with. His eyes scanned the surroundings and I followed his gaze around the warehouse. That's when reality hits me. The whole warehouse became more of a mess. There was more rice on the floor than ever before.

"Why you little…" his face was once again red with anger. He was certainly furious. "I'm going to kill you brat!"

My whole body trembled. I knew that this was going to be it. Then the man who I recently talked to placed a sword in my hand. I turned to look up at him.

"If you want to live, you've got to be strong kid…" he said.

I wield the heavy blade in my hand as my father recklessly charges towards me. I turned to the man who had given me the sword but he suddenly disappeared. My father was coming nearer and nearer.

I had to do it or die.

I gripped the sword hard. I was breathing heavily and my heart was once again beating wildly against my chest. I raised my sword and without hesitation pierced through my father. He stopped in his tracks as he started to fall down to his knees. Blood dripped from his chest as well as his back.

"You…brat…" he gasped. Then he finally collapsed as his blood tainted the snow-covered ground.

I killed him. I was about to die but instead I killed him. I was no longer weak.

I am now strong for I have lived.


End file.
